The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1887-03-31
w AR TALK,
RAyENNA, March IA. 1887.

another subject. We are ,
living at time when it seems the in 1
.enuity cunning and wealth of the
Did World Powers are employed in /
for war. Our national
ealousy is being slightly awakened.
Some of cur high tariff advocates say
hat it is great blessing that we have
of accumulated wealth in the
national treasury and distributed
among favored banks in our Eastern
cities. How much truth there may
be in such position depends largely on
knowledge of the fact that over $780,
600, 600 have been spent in our naval
affairs during the past twenty years,
and yet we are told that we have 10
navy, nothing but the ole in the
skinner through which Is vast sum
has passed, we are naturally little
of all military and naval
demands for large sums of money, in
times of peace. Still we acknowledge |
the soundness of the old saying, In
time of peace prepare for war;" Ma
tioDs are respected, not for their moral |
or intellectual worth, but for their
power and skill in war. We some
times inquire, in our minds, why this |
is SO. 1t seems almost incredible that
this lamentable statement is true. The
better, higher, nobler qualities of
manhood are shocked at the thought
of slugging match. or even a street
fight. Persons of u pugnacious char
acter receive but little respect or con-
sideration at the hands of the millions
of the intellectual and noble people OF
the present age; this, however, is the
result of education, cultivation and
civilization. There was time when
the disputes and difficulties among
neighbors were settled by wager Of
battle. Such was the law aud the or q
der of courts. Then to be slugger,
was honorable. Education, and a
higher and better degree of social re-
lations, have banished such brutal
thoughts and acts. almost, from among
us. That respect. once so common +,
for ability to pound and bruise each
others body remains with but the few.
If this be so, how is it that nations are
respected for their power and skill in
war? This, to me, is the solution of
the whole matter. We are amply
provided with courts of justice, where
| in ind 70
may be tried and adjusted, according
to the facts, by able and disinterested
judicial minds; no further need for
brute force for individual redress.
Not SO with nations. No court to
which to appeal. An appeal to war is
the last arbitramsnt for wounded ma
tiOnal honor. Succass or defeat upon
the bloody field determines and settles
the dispute. And the nation that fails
to respect the determination of this
court of last resort, in the great trial
of life and death. victory and defeat,
upon the bloody field, dwarfs before
the frewns of sister nations. This is
the only answer we can give for this
respect of nations according to their
power in war. We would always have
our national honor sustained. I'm my
country are my associates here are all
things of earth that are dear to me-
My country's honor, my country's
victory, right or wrong Here my
father and mother lived and died, here
my kindred live, This natural feeling
of love of Fatherland" I believe to
be the common Inheritance of all man
kind, from the frigid blasts of Arctic
climes to the miasmatic mists of sunny
lands. Hence, every true American,
when in the worlds panorama he
| views the great war preparations, is
steps be taken for the security of our
country and its power among nations
as will be reasonable and just. I can
not stop to discuss details of the matter
here. Every one knows that we have
numerous seaboard cities that might
be more or less exposed to an assault
of the enemy, should we be compelled
to engage in war with foreign power.
We very well know that walls of
stone are little more resistance before
naval batteries of today than thistle
down would be before the furious
blasts of a .cyclone. Still the armada
of no earthly power is so great but it
may he met, checked and wiped out,
along our shores, by American inge-
nuity and bravery. 1t seems to me
that the true American idea would be
to have an ample fleet of the fastest
cruisers in the world slim, highly
geared, able to fly up and give the
cumbersome man-of-war of the enemy
squib of few hundred pounds of
dynamite, and away on circuit before
the enemy's guns could be brought to
bear upon US. If they should come
with common guns we can certainly
whip them, as did brave Perry. If
they bring the big Krupp's, only large
unwieldy ships can carry them and
sustain the shock of firing. Their
movements and management could
only be slow, and few such light,
fast cruisers would blow such sea
fowl to kingdom come, and get out of
harms way.
But here, 1 am no military or naval
man, I guess had better stop. Still
L cannot help thinking how We have
seen three or four little black birds
worry and finally whip out big hawk
and compel him to make his most
speedy flight to his cover in the woods.
Are we in danger of war? If so,
with what power2 Some say Canada,
well, we'll, Canada has some good, no
BILE and brave people. no doubt, but
why can Canada want racket with
us? She has nothing to gain and ev-
erything to lose. Then. Canada could
not whip the State of New York. Oh,
well, England is Canada's mother.
Well, what does England want of a
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